Rotary engine.



-C. E. CLAPP.

Patented Jan. 17,1911.

G1. E. 0LAPP. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1910.

982,035. Patented Jan. 17,1911.

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o. E. GLAPP.

ROTARY. ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1910.

Patented 5311111911.

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CLARENCE E. CLAPP, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CLARENCE E. CLAPP, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York,have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to rotary engines, in which the motive agentpropels the rotor by reaction.

rhe object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotaryengine,which is simple and durable in construction, very effective inoperation7 and ari'anged to utilize the motive agent economically and tothe fullest advantage. ln order to accomplish the desired result, use ismade of a cylinder, provided on its inner surface with pockets, and arotor in the said cylinder and provided with reaction nozzles, openingat their larger outer ends into the said cylinder pockets, the innerends of the said nozzles being connected with a source of motive agentsupply.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar charactersA of reference indicate corresponding` parts in allthe views.

Figure l is a cross section of the rotary engine on the line l-l of Fig.2; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectio-n of the same on the line 2 2of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rotor; Fig. t is a sideelevation of part of the rotor shaft showing the admission ports; Fig. 5is a view of part of the inner surface of the cylinderg-and Fig. G is areduced end view of the rotary engine.

rlhe cylinder A ofthe rotary engine is preferably formed of a centralsection B and end sections C and C fastened to the central section B bybolt-s D or other fastening devices, and the outer ends of the endsections C, C are closed by cylinder heads E, E, fastened to the endsections C and C by bolts D, as plainly indicated in Fig. 6.

lVithin the cylinder A rotates the rotor F, provided on opposite sideswith the alined shafts Gf, G, journaled in the cylinder heads E and E,the outer end of the shaft G being provided with a pulley or other meansfor Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led May 25, 1910.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Serial No. 563,280. l

transmitting the rotary motion of the engine to other machines ordevices to be driven. The outer end of the shaft G extends through achest H, bolted or otherwise fastened to the cylinder head E, andconnected by the branch pipes I with a motive agent supply -pipe I,leading to a boiler or other source of motive agent supply. In the rotorF are formed the reaction nozzles J, having their large outer endsextending to the peripheral face of the rotor F and registering withpockets K formed on the inner face of the central cylinder section B, asplainly indicated in the drawings. The inner or small ends'of thenozzles J open into radial expansion chambers L, formed in the rotor Fand leading to an axial channel N extending through the shaft G, toconnect by ports N with an annular groove N2 formed exteriorly on theshaft G and opening into the chest H, so that the motive agent can passfrom the chest by way of the annular groove N2, ports N and channel Ninto the chambers L in which the motive agent is expanded anddistributed to the nozzles J, from which the motive agent escapes intothe pockets K, so that the rotor F is caused to rotate by the re actionof the motive agent, as the same leaves the nozzles J and enters thepockets K. The rotor F is thus rotated in the direction of the arrow a.By reference to Fig. l, it will be seen that the nozzles J extendapproximately at right angles to the radial expansion chambers L, sothat the reaction of the motive agent is utilized to the fullestadvantage, with a view to powerfully rotate the rotor F in the directionof the arrow a.

In the rear of each nozzle J is formed, in the peripheral face of therotor F, an exhaust port O, having branch ports O leading into exhaustchambers P formed in the outer sections C, C of the cylinder A betweenthe sides of the rotor F and the heads E, E. The exhaust chambers P areconnected with exhaust pipes Q, for discharging the exhaust motive agentfrom the chambers P and carrying the exhaust to a suitable place ofdischarge. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noticed that the rotor F isof a width less than the length of the cylinder A, so that theperipheral face of the rotor F is in contact with the inner surface ofthe central sect-ion B but only with portions of the inner surfaces ofthe outer sect-ions C and C', whereby the exhaust chambers P are formedwithin the cylinder, as previously explained. Now as the rotor Fadvances, the succeeding exhaust port O, on account of being in registerwith the pockets K, receives the exhaust steam from the said pockets anddischarges the same by the branch ports O into the exhaust chambers P,from which the exhaust can escape by way of the exhaust pipes Q.

In order to prevent leakage of the live motive agent from the outer endsof the nozzles J into the exhaust chambers P, use is made of packingrings R, concentric with the outer ends of the nozzles J and set inrecesses formed in the peripheral face of the rotor F.

Springs R press the packing rings R outward in contact with the innersurface of the sections B, C, C of the cylinder A, to form a tight jointwith the cylinder and thus prevent leakage of the live motive agent froma nozzle J into the exhaust chambers P. In practice, the expansionchambers L in the rotor F are bored from the exhaust ports 0 and thenclosed at the outer ends by screws L, as indicated in the drawings. n alike manner, the channel N is bored from the outer end of the shaft G,and then the outer end of the channel N is closed by a screw N3, asshown in Fig. 2. Thehead E is provided with a stuiiing box S for theshaft G', and a stuffing box S is attached to the chest H to inclose theouter end of the shaft Gr.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the steam or other motive agentis twice expanded, that is, in the chambers L and then in the nozzles J,so that the steam is expansively used to render the engine economical inthe use of motive power. It will further be noticed that by providingthe rotor F with a series of nozzles J, placed equal distances apart andat all times in action, it is evident that the rotor F is steadilyrotated, and consequently an easy ruiming of the engine is insured.

rIhe pockets K preferably decrease in width from the inner to the outerends, as plainly indicated in Fig. 1, and the said pockets arepreferably curved from side to side as shown in Fig. 5, and the pocketsK stand at such an angle relative to the outer ends of the nozzles J, asto cause the motive agent to react with full force, with a View to turnthe rotor F in the direction of the arrow a.

Having thus described my invention, claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder provided on its inner surfacewith pockets and at the sides with exhaust chambers, and a rot-or in thesaid cylinder and provided with reaction nozzles extending with theirlarge ends to the peripheral 4face of the rotor and registering with thesaid cylinder pockets, the rotor having exhaust ports in the rear of thenozzles and in register with the said pockets, the exhaust ports leadingfrom the peripheral face of the rotor to the sides thereof to dischargeinto the said exhaust chambers.

2. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder provided on its inner surfacewith pockets and at the sides with exhaust chambers, a rotor in the saidcylinder and provided with reaction nozzles extending withtheir largeends to the peripheral face of the rotor and registering with the saidcylinder pockets, the rotor having an axial inlet channel connected atits outer end with a motive agent supply, and distributing chambers inthe rotor and connecting the inner end 0f the said inlet channel withthe inner small ends of the said nozzles.

3. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder provided on its inner surfacewith pockets and at the sides with exhaust chambers, a rotor in the saidcylinder and provided with reaction nozzles extending with their largeends to the peripheral face of the rotor and registering with the saidcylinder pockets, the rotor having an axial inlet channel connected atits outer end with a motive agent supply, and distributing chambers inthe rotor and connecting the inner end of the said inlet channel withthe inner small ends of the said nozzles, the rotor having exhaust portsin the rear of the nozzles'and in reg ister with the said pockets, theexhaust ports leading from the peripheral face of the rotor to the sidesthereof to discharge into the said exhaust chambers.

et. A rot-ary engine, comprising a cylinder provided on its innersurface with pockets and at the sides with exhaust chambers, a rotor inthe said cylinder and provided with reaction nozzles extending withtheir large ends to the peripheral face of the rotor and registeringwith the said cylinder pockets, the innersmall ends of the said nozzlesbeing connected with a motive agent supply, and packing rings yieldinglymounted in the peripheral face of the rotor and corr centric with thesaid larger outer ends of the nozzles.

5. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder provided on its inner surfacewith pockets and at the sides with exhaust chambers, a rotor in the saidcylinder and provided with reaction nozzles extending with their largeends to the peripheral face of the rotor and registering with the saidcylinder pockets, the rotor having an axial inlet channel connected atits outer end with a motive agent supply, distributing chambers in therotor and connecting the inner end of the said inlet channel With theinner small ends of the said nozzles, the outer end of the said inletchannel terminating` in ports leading to an annular chamber, and a Xedmotive agent supply chest connected with a motive agent supply und inregister with ythe Said annulnr chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CLARENCE E. CLAPP.

Vitn-esses ELMER XV. HOWELL, ALBERT H. GREEN.

